Lightning Ridge - St George

Our last day at Lightning Ridge we started with a soak in the Artesian Pool then we followed the mud map around Lightning Ridge vicinity, passing structures built by eccentric inhabitants over the years. Then it was into the township to the Opal Shops and to visit the John Murray Art Gallery. We were picked up in the afternoon by the courtesy bus from the Chambers of the Black Hand Opal Mine and then taken to view the remarkable underground carvings that have been sculptured and painted into the wall of the mine by Ron Canlin. After descending some 80 steps down the mine shaft we emerged into a chamber where you were presented with an opportunity to purchase a large selection of Opal items after viewing the many tunnels and chambers that displayed the paintings and carvings. We also had the opportunity of descending further into the mine where you were shown how the Opal is found and originally mined, we were now 60 feet underground! Baz & I  thought we did re-markedly well as both of us do not like being in confined spots, to keep my mind off where I was I would think about the Opal I was going to buy on the way out. When we reached the surface it was starting to rain and by the time we arrived back at the Caravan Park it was bucketing down with water over the roads and mud and slush everywhere! We had 88 ml of rain in 2 hours, the noise on the caravan roof was deafening just glad we were nice and dry inside after the bus driver dropped us at our vans.

Thursday we left Lightning Ridge travelling further north to St George, along the way we again had to dodge a lot of road kill  and we had to be aware of  the wildlife as numerous very large kangaroos, Emus and Cows had come out of the scrub after the rain. We had a coffee break at the Hebal General Store then made our way over the road to check out the historic Hebal Pub.

 It stated raining again yesterday afternoon and continued steadily into the night not letting up to 4am this morning. Around 2am we heard the sound of a collapsing awning, looking out to the caravan beside us we could see that the rain had been too heavy for their awning and had broken the roller in half. There was not much they could do until the morning when Baz and Brian were able to help them to manually roll it back into position and tape it to the van until they can get a replacement at a major repairer.

Only a tin shed above ground!

Steps down into Chambers of the Black Hand Mine

Carvings in the Black Hand Mine

Coffee stop Hebal

Hebal Pub

Pub window

Torrential rain Lightning Ridge

Rain drenched caravan park (Lightning Ridge)

Oh no, our poor neighbours bad luck!

Another rain drenched caravan park (St George)

Moree - Lightning Ridge

If you are wondering, yes the crackle was delicious!

We had a great few days at Moree the only downfall was the cold front that came through, but the chill didn't put a damper on the hot pools. Maree & Brian arrived Friday and of course there was lots to catch up on since we had last seen them. Leonie and Richard also called into Moree to catch up with us, we had been hoping to meet them at Lightning Ridge but our original travelling plan changed slightly so it was lovely that they made it to Moree on their way home. Not only did we have Maree, Brian, Leonie and Richard with us in the caravan park another of our friends dropped in on our last night, Tony was travelling home to Brisbane from Melbourne after time in Tassie so it was great to catch up with him as well.

Monday it was on the road again this time accompanied by Maree and Brian heading to Lightning Ridge for three nights. The road from Walgett to Lightning Ridge has improved only minimal since we last travelled it five years ago, it is still a roll a coaster with many bumps! Beware when you open the cupboards in the van, things have a habit of falling out to meet you after bumping along that stretch of road. The days here at the Ridge have been very pleasant so far, nights and early mornings are very fresh so a great way to start the day is to warm up in the 40 degree thermal pool that is situated close to the park.

 We had a great day out today checking out 3 Pubs in the Scrub. The Sheepyard Inn, Grawin Club in the Scrub and the Glengarry Hilton are situated in the Grawin Opal Fields and were well worth the visit. First stop was the Grawin Club in the Scrub that also boast a golf course, we enjoyed a nice cold drink at the bar before heading off to the Hilton for lunch. It was a different world out there driving in and around the Opal Fields on the corrugated gravel roads seeing all the Miners Camps and Mullock heaps everywhere and old rusty cars, trucks, flag poles, 44 gallon drums, water tanks, caravans you name it it was there. Our last stop was The Sheepyard and Community War Memorial at Lake Beard.

Opal Caravan Park Lightning Ridge
us on the left Maree & Brian on the right

Maree,Brian & Baz enjoying the 40 degree temp

Lightning Ridge Artesian Pool

The Garwin Club in the Scrub

Enjoying a coldie!

Upmarket mining camp

Glengarry Hilton

Lunch at the Hilton

Bra Tree

The Sheepyard Inn

War Memorial

Burren Junction - Moree

 Tuesday is was on the road again this time heading east towards Moree, as the old Baz had Burren Junction on his wish list it worked in well for an over night stop at the Artesian Bore Spa Baths Camp. We could not believe our eyes as heading east from the township of Burren Junction we could see a whole community of grey nomads, some go there for weeks at a time even months, we are at a loss to why!  What a disappointment, the camping area was reasonable a level gravel area and the surrounding grounds well maintained but the pool was disgusting, slimy covered in algie, yuk yuk. We made the mistake of getting in as others were socialising in the warm water but we couldn't wait to get out of the swamp and shower off the slime! Reading on Wiki Camps people rave over the pool others say in the summer it is closed as the frogs and snakes move in! Still having night mares!

We rang the Gwydir Caravan Park in Moree to see if we could arrive a couple of days earlier than we had booked, no problems there, so we have been here since Wednesday and thoroughly enjoying the beautiful clean Artesian Pools it is always one of our favourite places to stop. Today has been a little cool only getting to around 18 degrees but lovely and warm in the 39 degree pool. We even had to use the umbrella to go over to the pool as a front has been crossing NSW and we have had quiet a bit of rain on and off today, our soak tonight was cut short as we had thunder and lightening and very heavy rain so safer out of the water.

The local butcher here at Moree will cook your roast for you, so I have been to see him and arranged for Roast Pork tomorrow night. Maree and Brian will arrive sometime tomorrow afternoon after six hours of travelling from Newcastle, so I am sure they will appreciate not having to cook. I will only need to do the veggies, too easy, hope he gets the crackle right. 

Burren Junction Camp

Swampy Burren Junction Artesian Pool

Happier Campers at Gwydir Caravan Park and Artesian Pools

Bourke

We have spent a lovely three days at Bourke enjoying a break from travelling and soaking up the beautiful weather. Yesterday was a pleasant 27 degrees slightly cooler today only 24.

 We were hoping to catch the Outback Show while we were here but we are a little early as it will not be here until early June. We spent a good couple of hours at the Back O'Bourke Exhibition Centre which brings to life the story of Outback NSW. Yesterday afternoon we spent a relaxing afternoon on on the PV Jandra meandering up the Darling River to the Port of Bourke passing under the River Bridges old and new then returning to the caravan park. Last night there was entertainment in the park with the Poet on a Plate, a pleasant evening sitting around a camp fire listening to poetry about outback life with a delicious slow cooked meal topped off by a lemon tart for dessert.

P V Jandra

The North Bourke Bridge opened 1888
First bridge over the Darling River
First lift up bridge in NSW

Darling River

Bourke Wharf

The new and old bridges side by side

Another Bourke Sunset

Goolgowie - Cobar

Wow we are finally feeling warmer!

We left Moama Thursday travelling north towards Bourke on the Cobb Hwy  stopping at Deniliquin for morning tea then it was onto Hay where we had lunch then our last leg was on the Mid Western Hwy to Goolgowi where we spent the night at a free camp about 1klm from the town.We have not encountered a lot of traffic which is good, not having to worry about holding up the truckies. We passed quiet a few cattle grazing in the Long Paddock, also saw numerous Emu's and Goats just glad that the only Kangaroos we saw were road kill, would not have liked to encountered one of those big fellas!

We only had to travel a little over 300 klms yesterday for an overnight stop at Cobar, as it was my turn to have a stint at the driving Baz was left to be the navigator. He was suppose to be directing me to the Newey Resevoir Camping Area but somehow we ended up at the Cobar Old Resevoir I did ask the question when we ran out of sealed road! It may have been a good mistake as listening to other campers the other Resevoir is very popular and local dogs bark continually, the only down side to where we ended up was the dusty road and the locals like to come out to the resevoir to ride their dirt bikes.

We made a quick get away this morning once the dirt bike riders put in an appearance about 8am, travelling up the Kidman Way to Bourke. It was a relatively short trip only 169 klms so we arrived here at the Kidman Camp Country Resort before lunch giving us plenty of time to clean up the outside of the van and put a load of washing on. The temperature today has been quiet warm 25 degrees and the forecast for tomorrow is 27 degrees, this is why we leave Tassie for the winter so we can enjoy the warmer temps.

Cattle feeding on theHwy to Goolgowi from Hay

Goolgowi /rest area

Cobar Old Resevoir

Cobar Old Resevoir

Kidman Camp Country Resort

Sunset Bourke